On Friday, the Canadian government moved swiftly to formally address allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were linked to criminal activities within Canada.
The statement stated that there is no evidence to support these claims. It aimed to clear up any speculation surrounding the matter.
Nathalie G Drouin, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister, issued the clarification.
The statement read, “On 14 October, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India. The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada. Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, earlier in October, accused the Indian government of engaging in covert operations in Canada.
According to Trudeau, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had collected reliable evidence linking Indian agents to activities such as surveillance, coercion, and participation in serious crimes.
Additionally, he called for the cessation of these operations, labeling them a violation of Canadian sovereignty.
India has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as absurd and baseless.
Indian officials have suggested that Canada is using the accusations to tarnish India’s image.
Ottawa’s proceedings before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on 29 October 2024, recently sparked strong criticism from New Delhi.
During the session, Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Morrison, allegedly accused India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah of targeting pro-Khalistan activists in Canada.
This led to a sharp protest from India, with the Ministry of External Affairs summoning the Canadian High Commission’s representative and issuing a strong diplomatic note.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India summoned the representative of the Canadian High Commission. They handed over a diplomatic note in response to the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in Ottawa on 29 October 2024. The note expressed India’s strong protest against the absurd and baseless references made to the Union Home Minister by Deputy Minister David Morrison before the Committee.
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